Fastening device



March 5, 1946. TI-NNERMAN 2,396,062

FASTENING DEVI CE Filed April '7, 1943 INVENTOR. ALOER T WNNERMAN621.121, Mane ark/Wm A TTOENEYI Patented Mar. 5, 1946 FASTENING DEVICEAlbert H. Tinnerman, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Tlnnerman Products,Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 7, 1943, Serial No. 482,213

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a clamping device for embracing and supportinga conduit or other object. One of the purposes of the invention is .toprovide in 'as simple a manner as possible a cushioned clamp adapted toembrace the object and provided with means for attaching it to a supportand at the same time provide an electrical path from the object to thesupport, so that it is grounded to avoid a static charge accumulating onthe object.

My clamping device is of the type which provides a metallic loopcarrying a cushioned lining so that it may embrace a conduit or otherobject of a generally cylindrical form with an effective clamping actionnotwithstanding variations in the size.of the object. The cushioninglining being of rubber or similar material is naturally of insulatingcharacter. To enable the use of such lining and also to electricallyground the object, I form on the clamping strap a tongue which projectsinwardly through the lining and extends arcuately along the interiorthereof so that it may lie snugly against the object and make a goodcontact therewith. In this manner, I am able to provide a continuouslycushioned clamp for effectively holding the object and at the same timeI form an electric connection :between the object and the clamp, andthence to the support for the clamp. This provision of means on theclamp itself extending through the lining to metallically engage theobject is a feature of my invention as hereinafter more fully explained.Y

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view surface.

thereto. The tangential arm II is shown as slightly-offset and braced byan indented portion l9 to stiflfen that arm.

The two arms II and I2 are provided with openings 13 and H for thepassage of a securing .bolt as shown at B, Fig. 1, which is adapted toattach the clamp to a suitable support. The support may extend betweenthe arms to be engaged thereby on opposite sides when the arms come intothe position shown in Fig. 1, or, in case of a relatively smallerconduit or larger clamp than shown, the arm I 2 may come down intocontact with the arm II and the support stand beneath the latter arm.

20 indicates an arcuate-lining of rubbert or similar yielding materialon the inner face of the curved portion of the strap and extending ateach end beyond the curved portion, as shown in Fig. 2. To provide foran electric connection between the metal clamp and the embracing conduitnotwithstanding this insulating lining, I form one or more inwardlydiverted arcuate tongues out of the material of the strap and passingthrough the" lining and extending along its inner Fig. 2 shows two ofthese arcuate tongues, designated I5. Each tongue is made by providing aU-shaped or three-sided slit I6 through the strap, thus leaving thetongue anchored at its end to the strap and then deflecting it inwardlyof the opening I' provided by the of my conduit clamp in place on aconduit, a

0! example in broken lines;' Fig. 2 is a centralsection through theclamp and conduit, as indicated by the line 22 on Fig. 3 but on a largerscale; Fig. 3 is a plan of the clamp on the conduit without theattaching bolt.

As shown in each of the figures, A indicates a cylindricaltubular memberwhich may be a conduit for oil or other material. It is also to be takenas an illustration of any other similarly shaped object, as a solid baror a bundle of wires grouped into a substantially cylindrical form.

l0 designates the metallic member of my cushioning clamp. This-membercomprises a single strip of spring sheet metal bent into a circular formfor approximately three-fourths of a circumference and terminating intwo arms, one of which, H, is shown as extending substantiallytangentially to the curved portion, while the other of which, [2,extends abruptly from such curved portion approximately at right anglesto a tangent slits I6. Preferably the tongue is reduced in thickness bycutting or swaging,

Thelnwardly bent arcuate tongues pass through openings in the lining andthen extend along the inner face thereof between the lining and conduitas shown in Fig. 2. In this manner the tongues make an electricconnection from the exterior of the conduit to the body of the clamp.These tongues also provide the means for retaining the lining in placein the loop. As shown in Fig. 3, there is suflicient clearance betweenthe side edges of the tongue and the walls of the slot to permit thelining to pass freely over the tongue and bend up slightly into theslot, so that the lining is firmly anchored to the clamp.

It will be seen that my self-bonding clamp is extremely simple inconstruction, comprising merely two parts, namely, the metal strap andthe insulating lining, the integral tongues by puncturing the strapserving the double purpose of forming the ground connection andretaining the lining in place. In use the tongues do not interfere withthe yielding character of the lining, which enables the clamp to graspthe conduit effectively .without danger of injuring it.

Iclaim:

spring sheet metal terminating in attaching arms, each having an openingthrough it, a tongue formed integrally from the body or the loop by asubstantially U -shaped slit therein, the tongue being reduced inthickness and diverted inwardly from the body 01' the loop, and ayielding lining on the interior of the loop, said tongue passing throughthe lining and extending in an arcuate direction along the inner surfacethereof to hold the lining against the loop and provide a groundingconnection to the clamp.

2. A fastening device comprising a metallic clamping member andayielding lining on the interior thereof, said clamping member comprisinga curved loop terminating at each end in an outwardly projectingattaching arm, said lining being a continuous strip extending frombeyond the region of one arm about the interior of the loop to a pointbeyond the region of the other arm, there being one or more U-shapedslits through the body of the metal loop, each providing a tongueattached at one end to such body, said tongue being reduced in thicknessfrom that of the body of the loop and bent inwardly adterior of theloop, said tongue having a free end and passing through the lining andextending along the interior of the lining and embedded therein tocontact with an object embraced by the lining.

4. A fastening device of the character described comprising a loop witha lining and an integral tongue formed of the material of the loop andhaving a free end, said' tongue passing through the lining and curvingin parallelism with the inner face thereof to contact with the memberembraced, said curved portion of the tongue underlying the lining andserving to hold the lining in place before the clamp is applied.

ALBERT H. TINNERMAN.

